Welcome to This Week in NFL History! Every week, the NFL Research team will spotlight the anniversaries of notable events and birthdays.
April 5
-- The NFL adopted a jersey numbering system based on position in 1973
- 1-19 for QB & specialists, 20-49 for RBs & DBs, 50-59 for centers & LBs, 60-79 for DL & interior OL other than centers & 80-89 for WRs & TEs
- Players who had been in the NFL in 1972 could continue to use old numbers
-- RB Leonard Fournette, S Jamal Adams & CB Tre'Davious White participated at LSU's Pro Day in 2017
- Fournette weighed in at 228 pounds, 12 pounds lighter than the NFL Scouting Combine & showcased his versatility by running routes and catching passes
- Adams improved his 4.56 40-yard dash time at the Combine to 4.45 per NFL Media's Gil Brandt
- Fournette (4th overall to JAX), Adams (6th overall to NYJ) & White (27th overall to BUF) all selected in the 1st Round of the 2017 NFL Draft
-- The color of officials' penalty flags was changed from white to bright gold in 1965
-- Notable Birthday: QB Marc Bulger (44)
April 6
-- Notable Birthdays: WR Sterling Sharpe (56) & NE CB Jalen Mills (27)
April 7
-- The NFL adopted new substitution rules, made wearing helmets mandatory & approved a 10-game schedule for all teams in 1943
- Free substitution (Being able to bring the same player in & out of the game as much as the coach wants) was allowed
- Substitution in football was previously like baseball or soccer in that once a player was subbed out, their day was done
-- Notable Birthdays: HOF Tony Dorsett (67), RB Ricky Watters (52), DB Ronde Barber (46), RB Tiki Barber (46), & LAC TE Jared Cook (34)
April 8
-- Sarah Thomas became the first female to be assigned full-time to an NFL officiating crew in 2015
- Became the 1st woman to officiate a Super Bowl in Super Bowl LV when she served as a down judge
-- Steve Bisciotti took over as the controlling owner of the Ravens, succeeding Art Modell who operated the franchise for 43 years in 2004
- 162-110 W-L (.596 win pct, 6th-best in NFL) since 2004
- 10 playoff appearances & Super Bowl XLVII Championship under Bisciotti
-- WR Allen Robinson improved his measurables at Penn State's Pro Day in 2014
- Surpassed his 4.60 40-yd dash and 39" vertical jump NFL Scouting Combine numbers with a 4.47 40-yd dash and 42" vertical jump at Pro Day
- Picked 61st overall (2nd Round) by Jaguars in 2014 NFL Draft
- Signed franchise tag with Bears after a career-high 102 receptions in 2020 (6th-most in NFL)
-- Notable Birthdays: HOF George Musso , CHI LB Roquan Smith (24) & DAL WR CeeDee Lamb (22)
April 9
-- WRs Odell Beckham & Jarvis Landry had opposite performances at LSU's Pro Day in 2014
- Beckham Jr. stood on his great Combine numbers, which included a 4.43 40-yard dash
- Landry improved on his Combine 40-yard dash time (4.77, slowest among all WRs in 2014), running a 4.58; However, like the Combine, he again tested poorly in the broad jump (9' 3") and vertical jump (31")
- Landry also dropped three to four passes during positional drills
- Beckham was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Giants & Landry was 63rd overall (2nd-last pick of 2nd Round) by the Dolphins
- Landry has the 3rd-most receptions (636) in the NFL since 2014 & Beckham won 2014 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the NFL with 108.8 rec YPG
-- HOF Troy Polamalu retired from football after 12 seasons with the Steelers in 2015
- 2-time Super Bowl Champion, 8-time Pro Bowl selection & 4-time 1st-Team All-Pro
- 2010 AP Defensive Player of the Year & member of 2000's All-Decade Team
- 2020 Hall of Fame Inductee
-- Notable Birthdays: HOF Curly Lambeau
April 10
-- The Patriots re-signed WR Julian Edelman after his rookie deal expired in 2013
- 3-time Super Bowl Champion (Super Bowl LIII MVP)
- Career: 620 receptions (2nd-most in NE history behind only Wes Welker 's 672), 6,822 receiving yards (4th-most in NE history behind Stanley Morgan, Rob Gronkowski & Welker)
- Postseason career: 118 receptions & 1,442 receiving yards (both are 2nd-most in NFL history behind only HOF Jerry Rice 's 151 rec and 2,245 rec yds)
-- Notable Birthdays: HOF Clarke Hinkle, HOF John Madden (85), HOF Mel Blount (73) & PIT TE Eric Ebron (28)
April 11
-- The Patriots re-signed RB Corey Dillon to a 2-year extension in 2005
- Set the Patriots' single-season rush yards record (1,635) en route to a 24-21 Super Bowl XXXIX win vs the Eagles to conclude the 2004 season (Last team to repeat as Super Bowl Champions)
-- Notable Birthdays: HOF Danny Fortmann
